Time Will Heal All Wounds
by ADarkerDestiny
Summary: Sometimes all you want to do is forget. There is too much pain in your heart to even go on living. But how would you deal with a second chance? Could you salvage your broken destiny?
1. A Single Tear

A/N: This is my tribute to the little kitsune. Gotta love him, right?  
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Unfortunately...

Chapter One: A Single Tear

"_The cup is not half empty as pessimists say. As far as he sees nothing's left in the cup. A whole cup full of nothing for him to indulge. Since the voice of ambition has long since been shut up."_

_-The Used "Poetic Tragedy"_

A solitary figure stood alone on the forgotten battlefield. The slow drizzle that had started only moments before began to pick up, misting everything with its unflinching downpour. It was a sight meant for no eyes, as the man slowly walked into the shallow center of the field. His face lifted up to embrace the rain, leaving rich, wet, pools so similar to tears.

His mind would not leave that fateful night so long ago; the night all his happiness was destroyed. There was no escape from the pain he felt. All his spirit was shattered and gone. If only he too had lost his life, then none of the suffering would have been real.

The only family he could remember had been mercilessly destroyed. An evil greater then anything imagined had destroyed all that he loved. It was a horrifying recalling, and his heart was gone from the sheer weight of the memory's colossal dejection. The cold, lonely wind blew fearlessly about him, showing no sympathy for his mind's cruel stirrings.

He pulled something shining from his belt. One little movement could end it all. Nothing was clear to him in the eternal fog which he had been left in. He never opened himself to anyone, not after the childhood he wished he could forget. Trust and love had been long gone, and his own realization of that made everything finally seem to come together.

No stars shone in the clouded and greying heavens. And he was sure he was alone. He held his hand to his chest, trying to feel the pulsing of his heart. Since that day, doing such had become a habit. One last time, he made sure he was still alive; he made sure it wasn't a dream. Standing there, he brought all the courage up from his soul. There was no other choice. As he saw it, there was only one option.

His arm raised above his head, the long thin blade aimed for his heart. He would end it, and he would never have to fear pain again. Death did not faze him, it would come as so much more like a welcome release. Nothing was there, he was as empty as glass. Not even a reflection to console him. A single tear slid slowly down his cheek

* * *

End A/N: Don't worry... the next chapter will explain what happens to him.


	2. The Pull of the Past

Chapter Two: The Pull of the Past

"_Are you aware- Of how much you complicate me? And are you aware- your words suffocate me?"  
__-New Found Glory "This Disaster"_

Suddenly, he felt as though he was frozen. His arm wouldn't move; it wouldn't take the plunge into his aching chest. All around him, the wind began to pick up. It blew faster, and faster, scattering the wet, sopping leaves into the air. He tried to run, but his legs refused to move. A cloud burst open, and a bolt of lightning crashed from the sky, shocking the ground not ten feet from where he stood.

He closed his eyes, and stopped fighting his current statue-like state. If he wasn't allowed to end his own life, then he would let nature do it for him. The lightning crashed once again, and he drew in a deep breath. He only wanted that one last catch of air.

But he didn't feel it strike him. A crash was heard, and he knew it was the rolling of thunder. The eye of the storm was so close, and he was right in the middle of it. The fury of it, however, was staying far, far away. His eyes jerked open. Right in front of where he was standing, centered perfectly between his feet, was a round mark where the ground had clearly been burned. If it had been only six more inches towards him...

Still his body wouldn't move. He could no longer control what he wanted himself to do. All he could think about was the day that his life had ended. When Naraku had finally won, and all of his companions were obliterated. There weren't even any remains left when that disgusting evil finished with them. It made the man sick to think that he had been spared- even unintentionally- when the people he loved had been destroyed. That day, his heart truly died. And on this new day, he planned to take his body with it.

Storm clouds continued to gather, swirling round and round in the sky. The winds continued to pick up, going ferociously to surround him, and whipping his long red hair out from his body. He could barely feel a thing. Without warning, his hand unclenched, and the long, thin dagger fell. His arm clapped down to his side, seemingly unaware of the orders from his brain.

Nothing was making sense anymore, not even nature. A deep, impassive voice rang out from the sky, though he knew that the sound could be heard by his ears alone.

"Give in," it whispered. "Let go of all former ties."

'NO,' he thought. 'I'll never allow myself to forget.'

"You must change the past," the voice told him, "you must forget what has destroyed you. A second chance for your rightful destiny has been given. Take it."

Words spun in his mind. He was not even sure what the voice was telling him, and what the cryptic message meant he was even less certain of. His eyes traveled down, resting on the mark the strike of lightning had left but moments ago. It inexplicably began to glow. Weakness suddenly overtook him. A wave of nausea swept into his stomach, and the world around him began to spin.

He began to fall. His eyes were locked in a scene of blackness and haze. He couldn't see. Where the void was taking him, only time would tell. A single wish struck his heart. Maybe that was what it felt like to die. Perhaps the winds were taking him to paradise, where he would see his loved ones once again. Anything but more of the present… He lost all consciousness, never realizing just what fate had in store.

A/N: OK, that is the end of the second chapter. I hope you leave a review.

"Love and PEACE!" -ADD


	3. A Walk in the Woods

**Chapter Three: **A Walk in the Woods  
"_Lost all sense of fear; Feelings insincere, Can I be your memory?"  
__-Sugarcult "Memory"_

He woke up in a daze. The air around him was fresh and green, and he felt a pallet of leaves under his body. Looking up, he found himself to be in a forest. The sunlight peeked in through the trees, as the wind gently blew across the ground. Wondering if he was even still alive, he stood up and brushed himself off.

'Damn,' he thought, 'where am I? Why am I here? Did that lightening hit me, or did I actually fall into a... portal of some kind?' His mind reflected back on the times he watched another pass between worlds, and it only caused to make him wish he had succeeded in his task even more.

He began walking, not knowing what else to do. Following his own feet, the man unobservantly passed through that forest. Birds chirped around him; he did not hear. Small creatures skittered past his feet; he did not see. All the world went on as it had before he had come, but he would not have noticed if even the sky had begun to fall. If he had happened to pay attention, he would have seen the sights become familiar. He would have recognized a place he had been before, and he would have known where he was headed.

But no detail found its way to his eye, and he did not even give mind to a long forgotten scent that was carried by the wind. The trees were beginning to thin out, and sounds of a village reached his ears.

As he suddenly stepped out into the open air that was on the outskirts of the forest, a voice arrested him. The sight of an old woman, wearing a familiar red and white outfit arrested him. He couldn't move, as the ghost of someone he had watched die stood before him. "This cannot be real." He whispered. "I know that I am dead now. It's... Kaede."

The children that were playing around the old priestesses feet suddenly became silent when they saw the strange, disheveled man come out from the woods.

"No! It's a demon!" One of the girls yelled.

"We'll fight him!"

"Let's get out of here."

"Don't be scared. He looks like he's about to pass out. He's too weak to fight us."

"Don't be stupid, he's still a demon."

"Children," Kaede said. "I want you to go back inside the village. I can take care of this on my own." All the kids went off to safety, and she warily approached the man.

"What are you doing here, demon? Do you have some evil you wish to commit?"

He looked at her wildly, and his steps faltered as he began to back up. "How can you speak?" He asked her hoarsely. "I watched you die... that illness, the one that came to the village, you... you caught it, and we couldn't find a cure. You aren't supposed to be here."

"Are ye mad?" She asked him. "I am quite alive."

"Then, am I dead?" He looked around him in obvious distress. "Are we all together again? Is this the land apart from the living? Are the others here; tell me where they are!"

"What are you talking about? Your mind is obviously rattled. Let me put you out of your misery!"

He sank down to his knees, and put his head in his hands. "I am so lost... why am I so continuously tortured? You weren't there Kaede. You didn't watch him kill them, but I did. He was so brutal; he was so merciless." His fists clenched in anger. "And he... Damn it! That bastard killed Kagome first! We all had to watch as he tore her apart. How do you think I'm supposed to feel?"

Kaede stood in complete horror. Here in front of her stood a young man, obviously a demon, but there was something about him that she knew... He was tall and thin. His hair was long and very red, tied in a long ponytail. He wore blue, and he had eyes the color of emeralds.

Shock fell onto her face. She knew, in that second, who stood in front of her. "Oh... Shippou..."

Thanx for reading! Love and PEACE! -A.D.D.


	4. Planning for the Present

**Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN INUYASHA!  
A/N: **Well, here is the next chapter. I hope it's good. I have been really in the dark about this story, and to be honest, it's moving wherever IT wants to go. I am merely a pawn. He-he... Anyway, the chapter's here, and I hope you enjoy it. I am not sure if it really conveys all the pain Shippou is feeling, but I didn't want to go too tragic. He is hurting, but I don't want him too steeped in self-pity or anything. I hope you enjoy this next installment of TWHAW.

**Chapter Four:** Planning for the Present  
"_One light, one mind flashing in the dark, blinded by the silence of a thousand broken hearts."  
__-Green Day "Minority"_

His head rested in his hands, as he sat motionless on the ground. "Why did this happen to me? Where am I? What is this place- somewhere I can feel more heart wrenching terror?" A rough sigh escaped his lips, and slowly he began to try and stand up. Kaede stepped toward him hesitantly, unsure how to react.

"This is not some land devised to torture you," she said. "You must be from a future of some sort, because as you can see, what has happened in your time has not yet happened in ours."

He blinked up at her wonderingly. "I cannot see how that could possible be true. Because that would mean..." He stopped speaking for a moment, and stared hard at the ground. "That would mean that the others were still alive, and I know without doubt that they are gone."

"It was hard for you, wasn't it?" she stated, hiding in a question. "My eyes don't see the same Shippou that I know, but my heart tells me that you are him. And I can see through your eyes; you are in a numbing sort of pain."

He began to laugh wildly. "Hard?" He asked, voice rising from irritation. "Just a numbing sort of pain? You speak of things that you don't know, foolish woman. I never stop feeling that pain- that unescapable, soul breaking pain. Don't label me numb; I am as freshly wounded as I was the moment my life was stolen. I am a broken being, and you dare speak to me about being numb? The Kaede I knew was much wiser than this; if you are only using her image as a disguise, I hope you get much enjoyment out of watching my pain."

He lifted his arms of stone, and raised himself up off the ground. "Come," Kaede said briskly. "I swear to you that I am not some other deception. If you will let me help you, then maybe we can come up with an explanation. You look so much like the little demon that I was close to, but you are so different. I want to help you."

He looked at her sternly for a moment, trying to judge her intentions to be cruel or sincere. After a moment or two, he decided that she wasn't lying. He began to walk towards her, and seeing him relent, she headed back to the village.

Kaede led the way into a low building, and reluctantly he followed her. "I need to hear what happened," she told him. "I know that it will be a painful experience, but I want to help understand what's going on, and why you are here."

He told her as much as he could. Details that had almost been forgotten he dredged up into the conscious part of his mind. And it hurt. It hurt so badly he felt like his heart was being destroyed once again. But he sat and took it. Leaning against a wall, with Kaede across from him in dim light, he relived memories better left forgotten.

And when he got to how he arrived back in that time, he saw her visibly tense up.

"I must have been sent here for a second chance," he said finally. "If I wasn't even allowed to end this miserable existence, then obviously there's something more that I'm supposed to do. Whatever that may be, I'm willing to do it. Life hasn't been... life without them. If there's even a chance that I could save them, then I'll do anything I can. Anything."

Kaede heard the passion in his voice, and knew that the wounds of his tortured soul would not be easy to heal. He had endured so much in his life, and it was hard to imagine that the man in front of her was the same carefree Shippou she knew.

And just thinking about the Shippou that she knew brought up another piece of knowledge to her mind. "They are here," Kaede said quietly, hoping the news wouldn't startle him. "Right now they are staying here at the village, waiting for Kagome to return from her own time."

His reply lay strangled in his throat. After so many years, could he handle seeing them again? Would his heart break even more, or would his old friends cause it to begin to heal? Whatever the case, he knew he had to save them. There was no way in hell that he would let all that tragedy happen again. The past would be changed; for the better. In the back of his mind, a little voice told him that if he succeeded in altering the future, then he would cease to exist. A new Shippou would emerge, free of the painful shackles that he had had to unwillingly bear. And deep in his heart, that cessation of his misery was all that he wanted. Nothingness called out to him; it's salvation inexorably called...

"I need you to do something for me," he addressed to her bluntly, all politeness pretty much forgotten and pushed aside. "Make me look like a human. Can you disguise my appearance and scent so that they won't be aware that I'm a demon?"

Kaede thought for a moment, digging up any helpful information from the vast store of knowledge she had amassed in her lifetime. For she desperately wanted to help him, and was willing to do whatever she could to aid him in his mission. "I can think of one solution," she told him finally. "A necklace of sorts, like the one Inuyasha wears, though it is more for deception or hiding rather than subduing."

He didn't particularly take to the idea of something that similar to the "collar" he remembered Kagome having around Inuyasha, but he needed something so his plan would succeed. If the group thought he was a human, then they would be more apt to let him tag-along with them on their hunt. He wasn't going to let them know his true identity- he would stay in the shadows.

"Fine. Just make sure it completely conceals me. I don't want them to know that I am-" he looked down with an unreadable expression on his face. "I just don't want them to know anything about me, alright? And if I don't disguise my scent, then chances are Inuyasha will either recognize me or try to kill me before I can get an opportunity to talk to them."

"Alright," Kaede agreed. "I will make this for you, but must promise to save them. I don't want them to go through what you say the future holds. I don't want you to have to go through that."

He nodded, remaining silent for a long moment. "I'm not sure if I will be able to see them without breaking down," he confided, looking at a wall. "But I'm not going to let them suffer. Naraku... will die." Kaede saw his fists clenched hard, nails making little rivers of blood trail down his skin. "Naraku will die."

His firm but whispered voice trickled out into the darkness. A grim determination set his features into a stern, almost desperate expression. There was no happiness in his heart, only a vow to save those he loved. A solemn, unbreakable vow.

* * *

End A/N: It is done. Thanx for reading, and please drop a review! Love and PEACE! -A.D.D.


	5. Into the Inevitable

Disclaimer: The characters used in this story don't belong to me, I just added them into my own plot.

**Chapter Five:** Into the Inevitable  
"_I must abuse myself; I'm against all that I have made up."  
__-The Used "Take it Away"_

Shippou was anxious about meeting the others again. What would he say to them? What could he possibly say to them that would accurately express anything? He looked over at Kaede, and she just nodded. She understood that it would be more than difficult for him to face his surrogate family once again.

"You'll stay here tonight," she said, "and I will make the beads that will hide you. Kagome is returning tomorrow, and that is when you will have to meet them. If you wish it, I can tell you that you are a man who I helped after a battle, and that you are trustworthy- or some story like that. Or if you'd rather, you can bump into them on your own."

"I'll think about it."

Kaede sighed. Obviously, he wasn't in the mood for anything for the rest of the evening. It was so hard to believe that the strong, silent man before her was really the sweet little Shippou she had always known. But the resemblance was uncanny, and deep in her bones, she felt that she could trust him.

But it was convincing the others that she was really worried about. Kagome would accept him as soon as she saw him. Even if she was completely unaware of his true identity, she could always be counted on to help a soul in trouble. Inuyasha wouldn't trust him, but he could be won over with a little "persuasion". It wasn't too much to hope that he'd fit in. After all, he had been part of them years before.

"How about this," she told him tiredly. "Just be somewhere in the village tomorrow morning, and I will make sure that you get a proper introduction. All in all, I think that that would be for the best. Does it sound suitable to you?"

He looked at her for a long moment, and then said, "Yes. That's fine."

They sat in silence for a long while, until Kaede finally finished the beads he needed for his disguise. He slipped them on, and instantly in a great rush of illusion, he was completely unrecognizable as a demon. His ears were rounded, and his fangs were nothing but plain ordinary teeth.

Kaede was pleased with her work, and his appearance. "You should try and get some rest. I can see that you are weary."

A nod- though it was obvious he ignored her well meant advice. "In the morning," he said, and slipped out into the coming night. Kaede hoped that he was off to find a tree, or even a bed to sleep in, but his body language assured her that he was only off to brood.

Shippou didn't sleep. All through that dark night, he lay restless, consumed by his own inner turmoil.

'Can I do this?' he thought, closing his weary eyes. 'Will I actually be able to start off a new adventure, and save them? Because if I fail...' But he didn't finish his ponderings, opting instead to remain motionless, without a single troubling memory racing through his mind.

And he stayed that way- for a matter of moments at least. Sensing that is was close to sunrise, he decided to give up his false quest for sleep, and lifting his body off the limb, he sprang out of the tree he had been occupying.

Like a cat he landed gracefully on the dewy ground. The air was smothering, and a shiver coursed down his spine without his notice. Knowing that it was perfectly safe to be seen with Kaede's charm around his neck, he made a split-second decision to run. And with a burst of adrenaline, that was exactly what he did.

Letting all that he had bottled up earlier flow free though his mind, his thoughts took a dark turn. It couldn't be enough that he dwelt on tragedy so frequently in his life, but the memories had to constantly plague him. No matter what he did, or where he traveled, he could never escape his past. He could never let himself let go for even a moment.

'I've got to do this. I have to free myself from this pain. I have to save them. Kagome... Inuyasha... Sango... Miroku...' He felt his eyes begin to burn, and his chest ache with a resounding throb. An anguished cry ripped itself out of his throat as his speed quite nearly doubled.

**Bam.**

**Bam.**

Feet methodically hitting the ground as he all but flew by.

"_I'll be alright." A lie- coughing up blood as she said it like it was true. Desperate shaking, because the man she loved knew that she wouldn't last._

"_I don't want you to go," another voice whined, standing over the girl with tears in his big, green eyes._

_There was so much blood, even the ground was stained. One of her legs lay awkwardly out to the side, clearly broken and useless. But she did not seem afraid. A sad smile was plastered on her serene, bruised face. And they knew. She was gone._

"Damn it!" Shippou screamed, shaking his head to will the images away. Reminders of things that had already happened, scars that still stung out brightly on his heart. His feet tore off faster, trying to outrun all the things haunting him. Harder, harder, faster and faster he pushed himself, willing his body to bend further towards its breaking point.

And by a small lake, that was not very far from the village, he reached it. With panting breaths he fell to his knees. Time had seemed to slip by, because he could not even remember his trip there. And really, he was almost beyond exhaustion. After his failed attempt to make a last, desperate ending, his almost unexplainable journey back into his far-off past, and a night of restless watching, he was tired. Every cell in his body- utterly spent.

He fell down onto his stomach, then immediately rolled over more comfortably to his back. Closing his eyes and opening his ears, Shippou let a veil of feigned rest settle over him. Finally his body and his mind were able to give way to an uneasy feel of slumber.

When he woke up, the world was well into the new day. Sunshine streamed down from the heavens, beckoning him to bask in its warmth. But he knew that he would always still feel cold. Getting up with a little effort, he stretched out his arms wide and took a look around at what surrounded him.

'I need to return to the village,' he thought absently, his mind perched warily on the edge of total awareness. 'Kaede said that she would have a cover story prepared to tell them about me- I'm fairly certain at least- but I have to be there for it to be believable. Hopefully, everything we've planned won't utterly fail. I need this to be completed. I can't have life plunged once more into hell.'

Briefly as he began to walk back towards his destination, his mind dwelt on his old companions. Thinking aloud he said, "I wonder if they're the same as I remember them. After all, I was so young then."

He gave a single mirthless laugh and focused his thoughts on the areas he was passing by. Not paying any real attention to the scenery on the trek to the lake, he took the opportunity to study the land on his journey from it. Vague memories would hit him occasionally, bringing back to mind things that had been forgotten. Grass swayed languidly in the breeze, sounds of happiness haunted his ears on all sides. The day was magnificent- a true testament to the world's beauty.

If he could be moved at all, then Shippou was indeed moved by the positive omen. Though things were still wretched for him, he had new faith instilled in his quest. Almost eager to reach what would prove to be either his greatest accomplishment or his most horridly tremendous failure, his legs sprang into faster action- flying him over the warm, earthy ground.

With his adrenaline on high, and his new source of purpose, he managed to reach his destination in almost no time at all. He hadn't been that far away to begin with. And there waiting to meet him on the edge of the village, was the familiar head of grey hair that belonged to Kaede.

"There you are," a voice addressed to him. "I was wondering where you had wandered off to." The voice was hers, and she was there offering him a kindly smile.

"I went for a run," he concisely replied, folding his arms over his chest. "But now I have returned."

"I see that you have, indeed," Kaede chuckled, amused by the obviousness of the statement. "You are back." But there was no time for amusement of any kind, and her mouth folded back into a serious frown. "There are a few people that I would like you to meet," she said guardedly, hoping that he picked up on what she actually meant.

"Then lead the way," he ordered with finality, ready to get the initial meeting over with. He knew then that she had told the group some story about him, and had been only waiting for him so that she would have some proof of it.

She slumped forward, indeed leading him toward them. After only a few moments he spotted them up ahead, gathered together and talking. He was going to finally see them after so very long.

**Chapter Five:** Into the Inevitable

"_I must abuse myself; I'm against all that I have made up."_

_-The Used "Take it Away"_

Shippou was anxious about meeting the others again. What would he say to them? What could he possibly say to them that would accurately express anything? He looked over at Kaede, and she just nodded. She understood that it would be more than difficult for him to face his surrogate family once again.

"You'll stay here tonight," she said, "and I will make the beads that will hide you. Kagome is returning tomorrow, and that is when you will have to meet them. If you wish it, I can tell you that you are a man who I helped after a battle, and that you are trustworthy- or some story like that. Or if you'd rather, you can bump into them on your own."

"I'll think about it."

Kaede sighed. Obviously, he wasn't in the mood for anything for the rest of the evening. It was so hard to believe that the strong, silent man before her was really the sweet little Shippou she had always known. But the resemblance was uncanny, and deep in her bones, she felt that she could trust him.

But it was convincing the others that she was really worried about. Kagome would accept him as soon as she saw him. Even if she was completely unaware of his true identity, she could always be counted on to help a soul in trouble. Inuyasha wouldn't trust him, but he could be won over with a little "persuasion". It wasn't too much to hope that he'd fit in. After all, he had been part of them years before.

"How about this," she told him tiredly. "Just be somewhere in the village tomorrow morning, and I will make sure that you get a proper introduction. All in all, I think that that would be for the best. Does it sound suitable to you?"

He looked at her for a long moment, and then said, "Yes. That's fine."

They sat in silence for a long while, until Kaede finally finished the beads he needed for his disguise. He slipped them on, and instantly in a great rush of illusion, he was completely unrecognizable as a demon. His ears were rounded, and his fangs were nothing but plain ordinary teeth.

Kaede was pleased with her work, and his appearance. "You should try and get some rest. I can see that you are weary."

A nod- though it was obvious he ignored her well meant advice. "In the morning," he said, and slipped out into the coming night. Kaede hoped that he was off to find a tree, or even a bed to sleep in, but his body language assured her that he was only off to brood.

Shippou didn't sleep. All through that dark night, he lay restless, consumed by his own inner turmoil.

'Can I do this?' he thought, closing his weary eyes. 'Will I actually be able to start off a new adventure, and save them? Because if I fail...' But he didn't finish his ponderings, opting instead to remain motionless, without a single troubling memory racing through his mind.

And he stayed that way- for a matter of moments at least. Sensing that is was close to sunrise, he decided to give up his false quest for sleep, and lifting his body off the limb, he sprang out of the tree he had been occupying.

Like a cat he landed gracefully on the dewy ground. The air was smothering, and a shiver coursed down his spine without his notice. Knowing that it was perfectly safe to be seen with Kaede's charm around his neck, he made a split-second decision to run. And with a burst of adrenaline, that was exactly what he did.

Letting all that he had bottled up earlier flow free though his mind, his thoughts took a dark turn. It couldn't be enough that he dwelt on tragedy so frequently in his life, but the memories had to constantly plague him. No matter what he did, or where he traveled, he could never escape his past. He could never let himself let go for even a moment.

'I've got to do this. I have to free myself from this pain. I have to save them. Kagome... Inuyasha... Sango... Miroku...' He felt his eyes begin to burn, and his chest ache with a resounding throb. An anguished cry ripped itself out of his throat as his speed quite nearly doubled.

**Bam.**

**Bam.**

Feet methodically hitting the ground as he all but flew by.

"_I'll be alright." A lie- coughing up blood as she said it like it was true. Desperate shaking, because the man she loved knew that she wouldn't last._

"_I don't want you to go," another voice whined, standing over the girl with tears in his big, green eyes._

_There was so much blood, even the ground was stained. One of her legs lay awkwardly out to the side, clearly broken and useless. But she did not seem afraid. A sad smile was plastered on her serene, bruised face. And they knew. She was gone._

"Damn it!" Shippou screamed, shaking his head to will the images away. Reminders of things that had already happened, scars that still stung out brightly on his heart. His feet tore off faster, trying to outrun all the things haunting him. Harder, harder, faster and faster he pushed himself, willing his body to bend further towards its breaking point.

And by a small lake, that was not very far from the village, he reached it. With panting breaths he fell to his knees. Time had seemed to slip by, because he could not even remember his trip there. And really, he was almost beyond exhaustion. After his failed attempt to make a last, desperate ending, his almost unexplainable journey back into his far-off past, and a night of restless watching, he was tired. Every cell in his body- utterly spent.

He fell down onto his stomach, then immediately rolled over more comfortably to his back. Closing his eyes and opening his ears, Shippou let a veil of feigned rest settle over him. Finally his body and his mind were able to give way to an uneasy feel of slumber.

When he woke up, the world was well into the new day. Sunshine streamed down from the heavens, beckoning him to bask in its warmth. But he knew that he would always still feel cold. Getting up with a little effort, he stretched out his arms wide and took a look around at what surrounded him.

'I need to return to the village,' he thought absently, his mind perched warily on the edge of total awareness. 'Kaede said that she would have a cover story prepared to tell them about me- I'm fairly certain at least- but I have to be there for it to be believable. Hopefully, everything we've planned won't utterly fail. I need this to be completed. I can't have life plunged once more into hell.'

Briefly as he began to walk back towards his destination, his mind dwelt on his old companions. Thinking aloud he said, "I wonder if they're the same as I remember them. After all, I was so young then."

He gave a single mirthless laugh and focused his thoughts on the areas he was passing by. Not paying any real attention to the scenery on the trek to the lake, he took the opportunity to study the land on his journey from it. Vague memories would hit him occasionally, bringing back to mind things that had been forgotten. Grass swayed languidly in the breeze, sounds of happiness haunted his ears on all sides. The day was magnificent- a true testament to the world's beauty.

If he could be moved at all, then Shippou was indeed moved by the positive omen. Though things were still wretched for him, he had new faith instilled in his quest. Almost eager to reach what would prove to be either his greatest accomplishment or his most horridly tremendous failure, his legs sprang into faster action- flying him over the warm, earthy ground.

With his adrenaline on high, and his new source of purpose, he managed to reach his destination in almost no time at all. He hadn't been that far away to begin with. And there waiting to meet him on the edge of the village, was the familiar head of grey hair that belonged to Kaede.

"There you are," a voice addressed to him. "I was wondering where you had wandered off to." The voice was hers, and she was there offering him a kindly smile.

"I went for a run," he concisely replied, folding his arms over his chest. "But now I have returned."

"I see that you have, indeed," Kaede chuckled, amused by the obviousness of the statement. "You are back." But there was no time for amusement of any kind, and her mouth folded back into a serious frown. "There are a few people that I would like you to meet," she said guardedly, hoping that he picked up on what she actually meant.

"Then lead the way," he ordered with finality, ready to get the initial meeting over with. He knew then that she had told the group some story about him, and had been only waiting for him so that she would have some proof of it.

She slumped forward, indeed leading him toward them. After only a few moments he spotted them up ahead, gathered together and talking. He was going to finally see them after so very long.

**Chapter Five:** Into the Inevitable

"_I must abuse myself; I'm against all that I have made up."_

_-The Used "Take it Away"_

Shippou was anxious about meeting the others again. What would he say to them? What could he possibly say to them that would accurately express anything? He looked over at Kaede, and she just nodded. She understood that it would be more than difficult for him to face his surrogate family once again.

"You'll stay here tonight," she said, "and I will make the beads that will hide you. Kagome is returning tomorrow, and that is when you will have to meet them. If you wish it, I can tell you that you are a man who I helped after a battle, and that you are trustworthy- or some story like that. Or if you'd rather, you can bump into them on your own."

"I'll think about it."

Kaede sighed. Obviously, he wasn't in the mood for anything for the rest of the evening. It was so hard to believe that the strong, silent man before her was really the sweet little Shippou she had always known. But the resemblance was uncanny, and deep in her bones, she felt that she could trust him.

But it was convincing the others that she was really worried about. Kagome would accept him as soon as she saw him. Even if she was completely unaware of his true identity, she could always be counted on to help a soul in trouble. Inuyasha wouldn't trust him, but he could be won over with a little "persuasion". It wasn't too much to hope that he'd fit in. After all, he had been part of them years before.

"How about this," she told him tiredly. "Just be somewhere in the village tomorrow morning, and I will make sure that you get a proper introduction. All in all, I think that that would be for the best. Does it sound suitable to you?"

He looked at her for a long moment, and then said, "Yes. That's fine."

They sat in silence for a long while, until Kaede finally finished the beads he needed for his disguise. He slipped them on, and instantly in a great rush of illusion, he was completely unrecognizable as a demon. His ears were rounded, and his fangs were nothing but plain ordinary teeth.

Kaede was pleased with her work, and his appearance. "You should try and get some rest. I can see that you are weary."

A nod- though it was obvious he ignored her well meant advice. "In the morning," he said, and slipped out into the coming night. Kaede hoped that he was off to find a tree, or even a bed to sleep in, but his body language assured her that he was only off to brood.

Shippou didn't sleep. All through that dark night, he lay restless, consumed by his own inner turmoil.

'Can I do this?' he thought, closing his weary eyes. 'Will I actually be able to start off a new adventure, and save them? Because if I fail...' But he didn't finish his ponderings, opting instead to remain motionless, without a single troubling memory racing through his mind.

And he stayed that way- for a matter of moments at least. Sensing that is was close to sunrise, he decided to give up his false quest for sleep, and lifting his body off the limb, he sprang out of the tree he had been occupying.

Like a cat he landed gracefully on the dewy ground. The air was smothering, and a shiver coursed down his spine without his notice. Knowing that it was perfectly safe to be seen with Kaede's charm around his neck, he made a split-second decision to run. And with a burst of adrenaline, that was exactly what he did.

Letting all that he had bottled up earlier flow free though his mind, his thoughts took a dark turn. It couldn't be enough that he dwelt on tragedy so frequently in his life, but the memories had to constantly plague him. No matter what he did, or where he traveled, he could never escape his past. He could never let himself let go for even a moment.

'I've got to do this. I have to free myself from this pain. I have to save them. Kagome... Inuyasha... Sango... Miroku...' He felt his eyes begin to burn, and his chest ache with a resounding throb. An anguished cry ripped itself out of his throat as his speed quite nearly doubled.

**Bam.**

**Bam.**

Feet methodically hitting the ground as he all but flew by.

"_I'll be alright." A lie- coughing up blood as she said it like it was true. Desperate shaking, because the man she loved knew that she wouldn't last._

"_I don't want you to go," another voice whined, standing over the girl with tears in his big, green eyes._

_There was so much blood, even the ground was stained. One of her legs lay awkwardly out to the side, clearly broken and useless. But she did not seem afraid. A sad smile was plastered on her serene, bruised face. And they knew. She was gone._

"Damn it!" Shippou screamed, shaking his head to will the images away. Reminders of things that had already happened, scars that still stung out brightly on his heart. His feet tore off faster, trying to outrun all the things haunting him. Harder, harder, faster and faster he pushed himself, willing his body to bend further towards its breaking point.

And by a small lake, that was not very far from the village, he reached it. With panting breaths he fell to his knees. Time had seemed to slip by, because he could not even remember his trip there. And really, he was almost beyond exhaustion. After his failed attempt to make a last, desperate ending, his almost unexplainable journey back into his far-off past, and a night of restless watching, he was tired. Every cell in his body- utterly spent.

He fell down onto his stomach, then immediately rolled over more comfortably to his back. Closing his eyes and opening his ears, Shippou let a veil of feigned rest settle over him. Finally his body and his mind were able to give way to an uneasy feel of slumber.

When he woke up, the world was well into the new day. Sunshine streamed down from the heavens, beckoning him to bask in its warmth. But he knew that he would always still feel cold. Getting up with a little effort, he stretched out his arms wide and took a look around at what surrounded him.

'I need to return to the village,' he thought absently, his mind perched warily on the edge of total awareness. 'Kaede said that she would have a cover story prepared to tell them about me- I'm fairly certain at least- but I have to be there for it to be believable. Hopefully, everything we've planned won't utterly fail. I need this to be completed. I can't have life plunged once more into hell.'

Briefly as he began to walk back towards his destination, his mind dwelt on his old companions. Thinking aloud he said, "I wonder if they're the same as I remember them. After all, I was so young then."

He gave a single mirthless laugh and focused his thoughts on the areas he was passing by. Not paying any real attention to the scenery on the trek to the lake, he took the opportunity to study the land on his journey from it. Vague memories would hit him occasionally, bringing back to mind things that had been forgotten. Grass swayed languidly in the breeze, sounds of happiness haunted his ears on all sides. The day was magnificent- a true testament to the world's beauty.

If he could be moved at all, then Shippou was indeed moved by the positive omen. Though things were still wretched for him, he had new faith instilled in his quest. Almost eager to reach what would prove to be either his greatest accomplishment or his most horridly tremendous failure, his legs sprang into faster action- flying him over the warm, earthy ground.

With his adrenaline on high, and his new source of purpose, he managed to reach his destination in almost no time at all. He hadn't been that far away to begin with. And there waiting to meet him on the edge of the village, was the familiar head of grey hair that belonged to Kaede.

"There you are," a voice addressed to him. "I was wondering where you had wandered off to." The voice was hers, and she was there offering him a kindly smile.

"I went for a run," he concisely replied, folding his arms over his chest. "But now I have returned."

"I see that you have, indeed," Kaede chuckled, amused by the obviousness of the statement. "You are back." But there was no time for amusement of any kind, and her mouth folded back into a serious frown. "There are a few people that I would like you to meet," she said guardedly, hoping that he picked up on what she actually meant.

"Then lead the way," he ordered with finality, ready to get the initial meeting over with. He knew then that she had told the group some story about him, and had been only waiting for him so that she would have some proof of it.

She slumped forward, indeed leading him toward them. After only a few moments he spotted them up ahead, gathered together and talking. He was going to finally see them after so very long.

* * *

end A/N: Well, that's it. I would appreciate a review from anyone reading this, especially CONSTRUCTIVE criticism. Or you can tell me how great it is, I don't care (that was a joke). Next chapter will be up soon... or eventually.

A.D.D.


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